If NJ doesn’t want a death penalty, that is their right. However, if Texas wants to execute the condemned by hanging, that should be there right as well.
My point is that it is not in the authority of the federal government to order States to execute certain types of criminals, nor should it be in their authority to nit pick, within reason, about how States who want capital punishment should carry it out.
Methods of execution should be as pain-free as possible, by this I mean “not torturous”, but they should also be certain and quick. However, “aesthetically pleasing to observers”, while given a small consideration, should not be critical in determining means.
For this reason, electrocution is the best known means of execution. Electricity is faster than nervous impulses, and burns out the ability of the brain to feel pain *faster* than it *can* feel pain. In addition, it also stops the heart, so painless death is doubly assured.
Lethal injection, while aesthetically pleasing, cannot guarantee success as fast. Nor can cyanide gas, which can cause a torturous and painful death if you breathe normally instead of hold your breath and inhale it all at once. Bullet execution, like in Utah, can be problematic.
Hanging takes considerable skill, and is easy to mess up. And the guillotine is gross, if efficient.
So electrocution is best.
Interesting.
Down here we had two guys who had their heads burst into flames, but didn’t die with the first jolt.
Thats why we have lethal injection and Old Sparky was retired.